An Update on Miscellaneous Items from YPS

The information below will be published as a "guest column" in the York News-Times this week.

Professional Development Day on January 19th
Thanks to Beth Ericson and our talented and dedicated staff, we will once again host one of the state’s most dynamic professional development days on January 19th at York High School. We anticipate over 400 attendees to include YPS teachers, paras, and substitutes as well as staff members from Emmanuel Faith-Lutheran, St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Epworth Village, York College, York County Head Start, and numerous other school districts in the area.

The day will feature over 55 break-out sessions on a variety of topics to include special education, student engagement, math interventions, technology integration, early childhood programming, motivation, high ability learners, writing strategies, and much, much more.

We’re also excited about our two keynote speakers. Dan Waldschmidt is a leading innovator in the business strategist world. He is the author of “Edgy Conversations” and publishes a great blog that can be found at www.danwaldschmidt.com/blog. Dean Shareski is a leading educational consultant that is based out of Canada. He has many awesome ideas to share with us. Please visit his website, http://ideasandthoughts.org, to learn more.

Thanks again to Cornerstone Bank for providing a sandwich bar for our lunch on this important day of learning.

“The Main Thing is to keep the Main Thing the Main Thing”
Our “main thing” within York Public Schools is our students and providing as many opportunities as possible for them to be successful. We’ve started an Agronomy Academy with Seward and Centennial School Districts to expose juniors and seniors to potential agriculture careers that is paid for by Pioneer, Syngenta, Monsanto, and Mycogen.

We’re launching an on-line advanced placement environmental science course in January. We continue to expand our K-8 school day and school year. We’ve added “Math Counts” and “Invention Convention” at YES and YMS. These are exciting times for York Public Schools.

I continue to be so impressed with our students. They inspire me every day. Our future is in great hands as these young people continue to mature and chase their dreams in the upcoming years.

School Budget and Finance Update
With the upcoming legislative session that will include a new governor and 19 new senators, it’s going to be an interesting few months. YPS remains very diligent in our pursuit of property tax relief, other revenue streams to support our schools, and conservative spending. We remain part of a legislative advocacy group called STANCE that is made up of 13 mid-sized schools. STANCE has met with the Farm Bureau, Open Sky Institute, Lt. Governor Mike Foley, numerous state senators, and others to discuss school finance issues and concerns. We will continue to do so throughout the winter and spring.

Here are some interesting facts and figures from annual financial reports that all school districts must turn in each year to the Department of Education. This data relates to revenue and spending of public school districts in our state from 2002-03 to 2012-13, which is the most recent year we have audited annual financial report data.

Property Tax Revenue
• In 2002-03, the total amount of property taxes for all public schools in the state came in at $953,082,982
• Ten years later in 2012-13, the total amount of property taxes for all public schools in the state tallied $1,579,619,633
o Statewide total property tax revenue for K-12 public school districts increased 65.7%; or an annual average increase of 6.57%

• In 2002-03, York Public Schools received $5,266,584 in property taxes
• Ten years later, in 2012-13, YPS received $7,851,906
o This is an increase of $2,585,321; or 49%
o The property tax revenue of YPS had an annual average increase of 4.9% compared to the 6.57% annual average increase of the state as a whole

State Aid Revenue
• In 2002-03, total state aid paid to all Nebraska public school districts was $661,940,176
• Ten years later in 2012-13, total state aid across the state for all schools was $852,084,074
o This was a 28.7% overall increase in that 10-year span for an annual average increase of 2.87%

• In 2002-03, York Public Schools received $2,689,852 in state aid.
• In 2012-13, YPS received $2,004,816
o This is a decrease of $685,036 or loss of 25.5%; which is a far cry of the +28.7% increase that has been statewide

Total Spending
• In 2002-03, all public school districts in Nebraska combined to spend $2,150,922,022
• Ten years later in 2012-13, all public school districts in our state combined to spend $3,219,961,366
o This is an increase of 49.7% or an annual average increase of 4.97%

• In 2002-03, York Public Schools spent $10,442,549
• In 2012-13, YPS spent $13,749,972
o This is an increase of $3,307,423
o This is a percentage increase of 31.7% or an annual average increase of 3.17% for York Public Schools; which compares very favorably to the statewide annual average of 4.97%

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Have a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous and healthy 2015. This new year is going to be another awesome one for the York Dukes. We hope to see you at a concert, play, speech meet, extra-curricular activity, wrestling match, school lunch, or ball game soon! Thanks for your continued support.

YHS One-Act Repeats as Class B State Champions

The YHS One-Act Team took First Place for the second year in a row at the State Competition in Norfolk on Friday, December 12. The team performed the play "Under Jekyll's Hyde." In addition to the team taking home the First Place trophy, senior Kalon Beeson was selected as Class B's Outstanding Male Actor.

Under the direction of Becky Stahr and assistant director Andee Bubak, the YHS One-Act Program has ascended into rare air. Winning one state championship is amazing. To do it two years in a row is off the charts.

We are VERY proud of all of the participants and our sponsors. They put in a lot of time, extra efforts, and dedication.

GO DUKES!

FFA Programs Remain Strong

We are very proud of ALL of our wonderful programs throughout YPS. Our FFA program is no different. Just look at what they accomplished at a district competition just this week.

What a day for York FFA, qualifying state bound competitors in 10 of 12 contests!

Jr. Parliamentary Procedure
Team 1 - 5th Place (Gage Sinsel, Madison Harcrow, Jaiden Vanderheiden, Leon Linhart, Sydney Samson, Reegan Cast, Schuyler Hellerich)
Team 2 - District Champions and State Qualifier (Tenly Hansen, Julia Lee, Simon Otte, Bryce Danielson, Kourtney Muhlberry, Lauren Riley, Nicole Mittman)

Ag Literacy Speaking
Lauren Kaliff - District Champion and State Qualifier

Ag Discovery Speaking
Hailee Pohl - District Champion and State Qualifier
Max Kohmetscher - 3rd Place and First Alternate State Qualifier

Jr Public Speaking
Leon Linhart - District Champion and State Qualifier

Sr Public Speaking
Josie Lee - 3rd place and First Alternate State Qualifier
Allee Maronde - 4th place and Second Alternate State Qualifier

Cooperative Speaking
Brody Garner - District Champion and State Qualifier

Natural Resource Speaking
Allison Riley - District Runner Up and State Qualifier

Creed Speaking
Genevieve Tonniges - District Runner Up and State Qualifier
Schuyler Hellerich - 8th Place

Ag Demo
Team 1 - 7th Place (Evan Pohl, Teagan Thorrell, Garrett Rediger)
Team 2 - 6th Place (Jesse Hoblyn, Hayden Sandall)

Extemporaneous Speaking
Tonya Grotz - District Runner Up and State Qualifier
Josh Garner - 3rd Place and First Alternate State Qualifier

Job Interview
Catie Bergen - District Runner Up and State Qualifier
Whitney Staehr - 5th Place and District Finalist

Christmas Kids Project for 2014

A few years ago, a fantasy football league buddy of mine named Randy Goetz (Lansing, KS) and my wife and I spread a little extra Christmas cheer to some children in need. We bought some coats, gloves, shoes, hats, and little things for about 10 children living in poverty that we were sure needed something to feel excited about. It was a great experience so we've kept it up over the past few years.

This year, I decided to kick it up a notch and sent out an email to about 12 of my friends here in York asking them to consider donating $10 or $20 to what we're calling the "Christmas Kids Project for 2014." Todd Kirshenbaum, our Chamber of Commerce Director, was on that email list and he encouraged me to allow him to forward the request on to the Chamber Ambassadors. We did.

I also sent the email to Randy Goetz and a few others down in the Lansing/Leavenworth, KS area. The email also went to a few school attorney friends we do business with.

As the mail began coming in today, we've already received $525! We have over $300 more that has been pledged! This is UNBELIEVABLE!

We're focusing on 16 students right now ranging from pre-school through 11th grade. We're going to be able to surprise them with the basics. Nothing fancy. These youngsters need clothes, food, etc. We're also going to do our best to get each of them at least one thing that is beyond the basics. Toys for the younger kids, maybe some iTunes cards or something for the older kids or a Subway card. You'd be amazed to know how many of these kids don't EVER get to eat out anywhere. What a BLESSING it is to be around such caring people. What a TREMENDOUS FEELING it is to know that so many adults truly care about our community's children.

I've been around lots of tough times in my life but my family always made Christmas special. It is a great honor to try and help make some others' Christmas a little bit brighter this year. I called one mama on the phone today (she has five of the kids we've targeted) to tell her what we were up to and she began to cry because she's so appreciative.

Yes, there is a lot of money in York. However, what many people don't yet understand is there also lots of poverty. Over 54% of our K-5 students qualify for free/reduced school meals today. Yes, over 54%.

We can't make it better for everyone but we can make a dent in it. We're going to make a difference for several kids this Christmas. Kids that are on the honor roll, kids that are respectful, kids that appreciate a new school folder or a pen that writes. Kids that don't take for granted a school meal because it's hot and they might not get another hot meal until school the next day.

As a superintendent (or stupid-intendent as I often refer to it), I don't get to do a lot of fun things with kids anymore. THIS project brings more joy to me than I can describe.

THANKS for all of the help and support. We have some amazing kids here in York, Nebraska!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Thanksgiving until New Year's is absolutely my favorite time of the year. Spending time with family is always something I cherish. I also love the excitement and anticipation in the air during this time. I hope that the 2014 holiday season is extremely special for you and all of your loved ones. I won't make it down to Florida to see my family but they'll certainly be in my thoughts.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

GO DUKES!

"The Main Thing"

One of my favorite leadership quotes is from legendary basketball coach, Pat Riley. He says "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." In other words, you have to identify what your priorities are and avoid all of the clutter that gets in the way.

At YPS, our "main thing" is our students and doing all we can to provide them with opportunities to be successful. From pre-school through graduation, and even beyond in some instances, we want to ensure that our kids get the experiences and exposure they need to be productive, happy, and resilient citizens.

We're currently working on some irrigation tech training and certification issues with SCC and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. We've got our Agronomy Academy up and running at Monsanto. We have eight career academies for our juniors and seniors. We have college visits for middle school and high school students. We've extended the school day and school year for our elementary and middle school students.

I love the focus that the YPS staff and school board have on our "main thing." We're going to keep getting better and better and better.

GO DUKES!

Students have a HUGE Impact on us Professional Educators

Being a lifelong educator is a GREAT job. Sure, there are horrible days, tough circumstances, constant criticism, etc. However, when all is said and done; it is a wonderful profession. In my opinion, the best part about the education profession is STUDENTS. Yes, we help teach our students some lessons but I'm here to tell you I learn a ton from our students as well.

As a former 3rd grade teacher from 1994-1998, I can still remember certain lessons, specific things that happened, etc. I often wonder how my former students are doing. I was in Broken Bow on Tuesday night and ran into the mama of one of my former students in West Point, Nebraska where I served as K-6 principal from 2000-2003. I had not seen this family since May of 2003 and over 11 years later, I could remember exactly who she was, her son Morgan, and her husband Bob. She told me Morgan has graduated from UNL and will be married next fall. Wow. He was JUST in 5th grade "yesterday."

I often think about Bobby from Bartlett Grade School, Russell from Franklin, Cyle from Fort Leavenworth, Morgan and Yanette from West Point, and many, many others.

Myself, like many educational colleagues, have been lucky to be around lots of awesome students throughout our careers. I highly encourage any young person that is contemplating what kind of career they want to have to seriously consider education. It's made a big difference in my life!

A Tribute to Mamas

Today, November 6th, is my mama's 63rd birthday so I've decided to dedicate my blog today to her and all the mamas out there. Mothers are simply the most important people in the world. I can't think of a close second place for this category! Mothers are unselfish, kind, generous, and loyal. Mothers are the glue of their family. Mothers get taken for granted. Mothers never get the credit they deserve.

My mama is very special. She has certainly dealt with way more than her share of adversity. She never quits. Her love for her family never falters. She puts her family above everything else...all the time. Every day. My mama has shown me the power of love, the power of never giving up, and the power of hard work.

I thank my mother, Karen Dugger Johnson, for all she has done and continues to do, for my family.

I thank ALL of the mamas out there for what you mean to your loved ones. Though they may not always show it like they should, you are appreciated.

We love you mothers. Thank you for all that you do.

Admirable Character Trait

In my opinion, one of the more admirable character traits a person can have is when they are genuinely happy for someone else. It is so great to see our students that are 100% excited for their peers that have success. Nothing is better than seeing the golf team excited for the cross country or tennis team or the football team supportive of the softball team or volleyball team. Life is so much more enjoyable when we can be happy and supportive of others instead of just staying focused on our own all of the time. I've seen the students of YPS come a long way in this regard over the past few years.

When One-Act won the state championship last year, it was overwhelming to see EVERYONE so genuinely excited. That's the true York Duke spirit. Those that can be happy for others and supportive of what they get and don't get are to be admired and respected. I feel for those that can't be happy for others because they're too worried that someone, somewhere might get something they don't get. Too often, they fail to see multiple sides to any issue because they are so blind-sided with thoughts of just their own self-interests. That's a sad way to live life, in my opinion, but to each their own.

Today, I salute all of the York Dukes that can be respectful, supportive, and happy for others. Go Dukes!

1/2% Sales Tax for York on November 4th Ballot

What is this ½% Sales Tax Issue and How Would it Work for York?

• It provides an opportunity for City governments to form inter-local agreements with other tax supported entities to work on upgrading recreation and infrastructure needs that all communities have and typically can’t afford because of normal budget constraints. The City of York and York Public Schools have partnered up for this.
• If successfully passed during the November 4th election, an extra ½% sales tax would be added to some purchases within York
o Estimated revenue of this extra ½% sales tax is $1,000,000 annually with an estimated 60% of it from travelers that take advantage of our great interstate offerings

 Types of Items that are charged Sales Tax: personal property purchases, prepared food, retail purchases, etc.

 Types of Items that ARE NOT charged Sales Tax: groceries, agricultural/farm purchases, prescription medicine, medical treatment, etc.

• This additional revenue would then be used by the City of York and York Public Schools to build and maintain two major projects that are required to be completed by July 2016 and that would be bonded for 20 - 25 years.
o Quiet zone within the entire city
o Ball field complex

• All FIVE of the railroad crossing areas have to be done before we can have a Quiet Zone at any of them. BNSF requires an all or nothing approach with quiet zones. Right now, we have two of the five done and it will cost at least $2 million to prepare the other three; which will take a long, long time if this extra revenue isn’t available.

• Smaller projects that have been suggested over the life of this 20 to 25-year period:
o Senior Center improvements
o Improving traffic flow at York Elementary with additional roadways
o Enhancing our Trails, Parks, Roads, Tracks, Tennis Courts, Aquatic Center, Community Center, Auditorium and other facilities that improve our quality of life and can help make our town stronger for our current residents and more appealing to those that might be looking to re-locate
o If needed, finish paying off the balance of the Hub Foster Press Box Project at East Hill Field inside Levitt Stadium
o Necessary road work
 Many of these projects will help relieve some current budget constraints of the City of York and YPS and could help lead to property tax relief


What the Funds CANNOT be used for
• This additional revenue can’t buy city vehicles or pay salaries and benefits that aren’t related to the maintenance of these projects.
• It can’t purchase fire trucks and other items not related to recreation and infrastructure.
• By State Law, it must be used for recreation and infrastructure!

Why have many people said they will “vote yes” on November 4th?
• Improve and increase the recreation and wellness options for York residents of all ages
• URGENCY – This sale tax gives us the ability to almost immediately provide what many of our citizens have been asking for over the past several years in the form of a quiet zone, a ball field complex, and sustainable budgetary income to make infrastructure improvements throughout York.
o The community survey conducted in the summer of 2014 indicated that nearly 80% of our citizens were in favor of an increase in sales tax for infrastructure and recreation improvements.
• The City of York and York Public Schools are working together on this exciting venture to better serve our patrons and to maximize our resources
• With the City of York and York Public Schools being able to access the additional revenue from this ½ % sales tax, it gives both entities the possibility of providing property tax relief in the future
o Again, 60% of the estimated $1 million+ annually will come from travelers/non-residents of the City of York
• These additional funds also allow for added personnel costs to take great care of the new ball field complex and other facility additions and improvements that occur

What’s the Financial Impact of this Possibility on YOU?
• If you make a $100 purchase, this ½% sales tax increase will cost you an added 50 CENTS
• If you make a $500 purchase, this ½% sales tax increase will cost you an additional $2.50
• If you make a $1,000 purchase, this ½% sales tax increase will cost you an additional $5.00

GET INVOLVED AND LEARN MORE AT THE FINAL PUBLIC FORUM
• Thursday, October 23rd at 7:00 PM at the York Community Center

PLEASE GET INFORMED AND GET OUT AND VOTE on November 4th

Public Schools are Doing Well and Deserve Support

Public schools seem to get far more than their share of scrutiny. In fact, many organizations go out of their way with scare tactics to belittle our public school systems in an effort to promote charter schools and vouchers.

Let’s start off with some good news about public schools that you may not have seen before. After all, positive facts aren’t as interesting as negative propaganda.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/10/23/09cleary.h33.html

• About 90 percent of the kids in the United States go through the public school system.
• The dropout rate has fallen consistently over the past 40 years.
• The literacy rate in the United States is 99 percent for those age 15 and older.
• Most of our recent presidents—from both parties—were largely products of public education, including Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon.
• Four of the five Americans who have most recently won a Nobel Prize attended public schools. Those winners are David J. Wineland (physics), Robert K. Lefkowitz (chemistry), Brian Kobilka (chemistry), and Alvin Roth (economics). Roth attended a New York City high school, but went to college without graduating from high school.


Public schools in Nebraska are VERY strong. Just look at a few highlights down below.

• Nebraska students outperform national ACT averages and beat national averages on percent of students meeting college-ready benchmark scores.
• Over 200 of Nebraska's districts showed both improvement and growth in reading performance on the last State of the Schools report card.
• The percentage of Nebraska students meeting or exceeding proficient status on the state standards tests (NeSA) has steadily climbed every year they've been given in reading, math and science.
• These standardized assessments are rigorous tests of grade level proficiency on the state standards, and are therefore excellent measures to provide a general indication of student learning.
• Thus on both state and national measures of school efficacy and student learning, it is clear that Nebraska's public schools are getting the job done.

Charter schools are often mentioned as an alternative to our public school system but are they all they claim to be?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/05/20/a-dozen-problems-with-charter-schools/

• For example, a report on Pennsylvania’s charter schools recently released by a state legislator found that only one in six of the state’s charter schools is “high-performing” and it notes that none of the online charters is “high-performing.”
• These charter schools also serve significantly fewer special education students than traditional students. Only two of these 28 high performing charter schools have a special education student population greater than the 15% average of traditional public schools. Further, as noted in the 2013 Special Education Funding Commission report, charter school enroll significantly less special education students with severe disabilities than traditional public schools.
• Here are a dozen problems with Pennsylvania’s charter schools — which carry beyond the state’s borders — identified by Jessie B. Ramey, the parent of two children in Pittsburgh public schools and a historian of working families, gender, race and U.S. social policy and teaches women’s studies and history at the University of Pittsburgh. This is part of a post on her Yinzercation blog, where you can see the rest of the piece.

Here are the 12 problems, written by Ramey:

1. Most are not helping kids. Rep. Roebuck’s new report shows that for the 2012-23 academic year, “the average SPP [School Performance Profile] score for traditional public schools was 77.1,” but for charter schools it was 66.4, and cyber-charter schools came in at a low 46.8. What’s more, “none of the 14 cyber charter schools had SPP scores over 70, considered the minimal level of academic success and 8 cyber charter schools had SPP scores below 50.” [Charter and Cyber Charter School Reform Update, April 2014] The latest national research found that charter students in Pennsylvania cover 29 fewer days of reading material on average, and 50 fewer days of math than traditional public schools. That puts us in the bottom three states in the country. [Stanford CREDO, National Charter School Study 2013] If we’re going to have charter schools, shouldn’t they be helping students?

2. Some are actually hurting kids. Gordon Lafer, a political economist at the University of Oregon, reviewed the growing low-budget-charter sector in Milwaukee, which has the oldest charter system in the country, and found startling results with national implications. Cost-cutting charters such as the Rocketship chain offer a narrow curriculum focused on little more than reading and math test prep, inexperienced teachers with high turnover, and “blended learning” products designed to enrich charter school board members’ investment portfolios. Lafer “questions why an educational model deemed substandard for more privileged suburban children is being so vigorously promoted—perhaps even forced—on poor children…” [Economic Policy Institute, 4-24-14] Others have pointed out significant problems with zero-tolerance, strict discipline charters made famous by the “no excuses” KIPP chain of schools. [EdWeek, 2-20-13]

3. Far too many are cash cows. When Pennsylvania is seen by hedge fund managers as prime ground for “investment opportunities” in charter schools, you know something is terribly wrong. And when four of the top political campaign donors in the entire state are connected to charter schools, you have to start asking why. [See “Charters are Cash Cows”] Publicly funded schools should not be serving to line the pockets of private companies and individuals.

4. The industry is rife with fraud and corruption. Who can forget the scheme by PA Cyber Charter founder Nicholas Trombetta, right here in Beaver County, to steal $1 million in public dollars? Federal investigators filed 11 fraud and tax conspiracy charges against him and indicted others in the case. [Post-Gazette, 8-24-13] And then there is the Urban Pathways Charter School in downtown Pittsburgh under FBI scrutiny for trying to spend Pennsylvania taxpayer money to build a school in Ohio. A related investigation by the state auditor general revealed a history of expensive restaurant meals, a posh staff retreat at Nemacolin Woodlands resort, and payments for mobile phones belonging to the spouses of board members. [Trib, 11-11-13] Not to be left out, Philadelphia just had its eighth charter school official plead guilty to federal fraud charges. [Philly.com, 2-10-14]

5. Lack of transparency and accountability. Charter schools are publicly funded, but often act like private entities. Here in Pennsylvania, the largest charter school operator has been fighting a right-to-know request for years in the courts so that he doesn’t have to reveal his publicly funded salary (data that is publicly available for traditional public schools). In 2012, Gov. Corbett and the Republican controlled legislature tried to introduce a bill that would have exempted all charters from the state’s sunshine laws. [See “Where are the Real Republicans?”] In California, charter school operators have even argued in court that they are a private entity and should not be treated as a public institution. [Ed Week, 10-7-13] We desperately need charter reform legislation that emphasizes accountability and transparency, just as we demand from traditional public schools. [See the top 5 reasons the current proposed legislation fails to do both.]

6. Skimming and weed-out strategies. Dr. Kevin Welner, professor of education policy at the University of Colorado at Boulder, has found that charter schools “can shape their student enrollment in surprising ways.” He has identified a “Dirty Dozen” methods used by charter schools “that often decrease the likelihood of students enrolling with a disfavored set of characteristics, such as students with special needs, those with low test scores, English learners, or students in poverty.” [NEPC Brief, 5-5-13] Think it’s not happening in Pennsylvania? Consider the Green Woods charter school in Philadelphia that made its application available to prospective families only one day per year, in hard copy form only, at a suburban country club not accessible by public transportation. [Newsworks, 9-12-12] When charter schools overtly, or even unconsciously, urge students to leave – for instance, by not offering services for special education students or English language learners – they send those students back to traditional public schools.

7. Contribute to the re-segregation of U.S. education. For a number of years, researchers have noted the trend towards re-segregation in public education and the role that charters may be playing in that process. A recent report warns, “the proliferation of charter schools risks increasing current levels of segregation based on race, ethnicity, and income.” [Phi Delta Kappan, 2-2014] Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig, of University of Texas at Austin, writes about some charter schools that claim they would like to be more diverse, but that it’s “hard to do.” He explains, “Charters have a choice whether they want to be racially and economically diverse schools that serve ELL, Special Education and low-SES kids. Based on the various admissions and management policies … charters choose their students, rather than families choosing their schools— in essence, school choice is charter schools choose.” [Cloaking Inequality, 11-11-13]

A pointed article in the Jacobin last summer took liberals to task for supporting charter schools while failing to fight underlying racism embedded in education: “Advocating charter schools to boost academic outcomes for poor, minority kids presumes that we can provide equal educational opportunity and simultaneously maintain a status quo of segregated housing and schooling. If you are unwilling to wage the unpopular fight for residential and school integration and equalized (and adequate) school funding, charter schools can seem a “good enough” compromise.” [Jacobin, 7-31-13]

8. Drain resources from struggling districts. Charter tuition payments are causing a huge financial drain for many districts – $53 million in Pittsburgh this academic year alone. With the state’s massive defunding of public schools, Governor Tom Corbett slashed reimbursement to districts for charter school tuition payments: that cost Pittsburgh $14.8 million in 2012 and continues to cause mounting financial harm. [See “Charter Reform Now”] And remember, when a couple students leave a classroom to attend a charter school, that classroom still has to keep the lights on, and pay the teacher and the heating bill: the math is not a simple moving of dollars from one place to another. What’s more, there is evidence that charters, especially cyber charters, are enrolling more students who were previously home-schooled, thus increasing costs for school districts. [NCSPE Brief on Cyber and Home School Charter Schools]

9. Closing traditional public schools. Some of the biggest charter school supporters are simultaneously working to close traditional public schools. For instance, a New York Times article this week on the Walton Family Foundation reported that it “gave $478,380 to a fund affiliated with the Chicago public schools to help officials conduct community meetings to discuss their plan to close more than 50 schools at a time when charters were expanding in the city.” [New York Times, 4-26-14] In Philadelphia, charter school proponents have succeeded in getting new charter schools opened while waves of traditional public schools have closed. This year, parents in some schools are being forced to choose between conversion to a charter school, with additional resources for their kids, or staying a traditional public school and losing resources. [Philly.com, 3-13-14]

While Pittsburgh has resisted any large scale opening of new charter schools, the state is now forcing the district to approve new charters, even as it is slashing the budget and promising more school closures. [See “When Charters Cause Harm”] Under state law, districts are not permitted to take into account their own financial situation when approving new charter schools, which means that charter expansion cannot be a rational part of an overall strategic plan.

10. Lack of innovation. Charter schools were meant to be “innovation labs” to test out new ideas and introduce those ideas into the traditional public school system. But that is not happening. We’ve had charter schools in Pennsylvania for 15 years, so where is all this innovation that should be showing up in all of our schools by now? Supporters of the highly problematic Senate Bill 1085 wish to strip the innovation clause out of state law, which is the last thing we should be doing. [See “Top 5 Reasons to Oppose SB 1085”] We need to find ways for the best charter schools to work collaboratively with school districts so that all students benefit.

11. Hard to get rid of the bad ones. Poor performing charter schools do not just go away. Half of all brick-and-mortar charter schools have been around now for over ten years. But Rep. Roebuck’s new report finds that “their results do not significantly improve the longer that a charter school has been open. … Unfortunately, for 2012 – 2013, a majority, 51 percent of the charter school open 10 years or more have SPP scores below 70 [considered the minimal acceptable score].” The report concludes, “these results are not encouraging and it raises concerns about renewing many charters with poor performance over so many years.” [Charter and Cyber Charter School Reform Update, April 2014]

12. Charters promote “choice” as solution. I’m not convinced we simply need more “choices” in public education. We do need great public schools in every community (that doesn’t mean in every single neighborhood), that any parent would be happy to send their children to, and that meet the needs of local families. We don’t really have any choice at all if our local public school is not a high quality option. The idea of “choice” is very American, but it’s also at the heart of modern neo-liberalism; free market ideology has turned parents into consumers, rather than public citizens participating in a common good. Markets do a fine job making stuff and selling it. But they also create extreme inequality, with winners and losers. [See “The Problem with Choice”] Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge any family that makes the personal choice to send their child to any school, whether private, religious, charter, or magnet. I’m not advocating getting rid of choices. But I’d be a lot happier if charter advocates stopped using “choice” to promote these schools. Choice alone doesn’t guarantee quality and it hasn’t solved the larger problems facing public education.

Vouchers are another often mentioned “alternative” to public schools but when you look closer at them you begin to see some troubling data as well.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110318/EDITORIAL/103180331
• Vouchers take money from the public schools to support unaccountable private schools. Private schools can deny admission to any student based on, for example, religion, disability, language proficiency or disciplinary record.
• Vouchers do not improve academic performance. Studies of voucher programs in Milwaukee, Cleveland and Washington, D.C., reveal that reading and math scores are no better than those of students in corresponding public schools. There was no significant difference in student-teacher ratios or teacher availability for extracurricular activities.
• Saying that vouchers help the poor is suspect. Voucher payments are rarely enough to cover the entire cost of the private school, and only families with money can come up with the cost of tuition balance, uniforms, booksand other supplies.
• In Cleveland, most families who received a voucher did not use it because they could not handle the additional costs. The real story is that vouchers actually hurt low-income families by weakening public schools.
• The only result is eroding a program by making success more difficult to achieve.
• Vouchers can result in speculator profiteers. One school in Milwaukee was run by a man with a long criminal record. In Cleveland, one school was set up in a dilapidated building with inadequate heat and no fire alarms. Another “educated” the children by having them watch videos all day.
• Most public schools do a good job; those that don't should be fixed, not handicapped by further weakening. Politicians pushing vouchers (and charters) offer this as a panacea while ignoring real issues like adequate funding, class size and teacher training.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/03/26/school-vouchers-still-a-bad-idea-despite-indiana-court-ruling/

• Indiana is one of a growing number of states with school voucher programs. These allow public dollars to be used at private schools, including religious schools, including those religious schools that use creationist materials that teach anti-scientific notions such as the idea that the universe is no more than 10,000 years old, and that humans lived at the very same time as dinosaurs.
• Voucher programs have been growing over the last decade, with quiet advocacy by right-wing Republicans, some of whom don’t believe in public education. A 2011 report that reviewed studies on vouchers noted that most of the early programs were aimed at low-income families in large cities or at students attending the lowest-performing public schools in a state, but the newer programs include middle-income families. When Indiana passed its voucher program in 2011, it was then the broadest in the country, including low-income as well as middle-income students. Louisiana’s voucher program surpassed that in size, and it was also challenged, and is now awaiting a decision on its constitutionality by the state Supreme Court.
• The notion is that families deserve to have a “choice” of schools for their children. The reality is that the amount of money provided in each voucher isn’t enough to cover tuition at a great many private schools, especially the elite ones that get most of the media’s attention, such as Sidwell Friends, which the Obama daughters attend.
• Take a look at the voucher program in Washington D.C., which is the only federally funded voucher program in the country at the moment. It was designed to give poor children a chance to attend private schools and, presumably, get a better education than students stuck in failing public schools. Well, a review of the voucher program by my colleagues Lyndsey Layton and Emma Brown found this last year:
o A Washington Post review found that hundreds of students use their voucher dollars to attend schools that are unaccredited or are in unconventional settings, such as a family-run K-12 school operating out of a storefront, a Nation of Islam school based in a converted Deanwood residence, and a school built around the philosophy of a Bulgarian psychotherapist.
o At a time when public schools face increasing demands for accountability and transparency, the 52 D.C. private schools that receive millions of federal voucher dollars are subject to few quality controls and offer widely disparate experiences, the Post found.
o Some of these schools are heavily dependent on tax dollars, with more than 90 percent of their students paying with federal vouchers.
o Yet the government has no say over curriculum, quality or management. And parents trying to select a school have little independent information, relying mostly on marketing from the schools.
o The director of the nonprofit organization that manages the D.C. vouchers on behalf of the federal government calls quality control “a blind spot.”
o And this one is in the District, supposedly under the nose of the federal lawmakers who passed the program. One can only imagine the level of oversight in other programs.
• There are arguments made that students in voucher schools do better than their peers who wanted vouchers but didn’t get them and are in public schools. Research shows that that is largely not true. For many voucher advocates, the real problem is public education. Back in 2002, Dick DeVos, who is the son of the co-founder of Amway, made a speech at the Heritage Foundation, a portion of which you can see in this video, laying out a strategy for promoting school vouchers in state legislatures in a way that would not draw too much attention. “We need to be cautious about talking too much about these activities,” he said, also saying that his supporters should refer to public schools as “government schools.”

Here in Nebraska, we will begin to hear a lot more about vouchers and charter schools. Analyze that info carefully. Public Schools are doing better than they ever have, despite what others say. Look at the facts.

Motivational Speaker Coming to York on October 21st and 22nd

Brooks Gibbs, a youth crisis counselor and popular bullying prevention speaker, will give a community presentation in the YHS Theater on October 21st at 7 PM. Everyone is invited to attend.

Brooks will also speak to YMS and YHS students during the day on October 21 & 22. 6th-8th graders at Emmanuel Faith Lutheran and St. Joseph's Catholic have also been invited to come over and listen to Brooks.

Brooks has presented over a thousand school assemblies and has toured internationally reaching over three million people. His passion is to empower victims of bullying with the social skills needed to solve their bullying problems.

As a former victim of bullying that eventually became an authority on the subject, his personal story and humorous teaching style inspire all who listen.

YPS is excited about the message that Brooks will relay to our 6th-12th graders. We take bullying very seriously and always look for creative ways to keep this topic in the forefront in our schools.

We hope to see many parents and community members in attendance on October 21st at 7 pm in the YHS Theater.

YPS Foundation Meal Deal and Raffle on Friday, October 3rd

The York Public Schools Foundation is hosting a Homecoming Meal Deal sponsored by Henderson State Bank beginning at 5:00 PM on Friday, October 3rd at East Hill Park. Pork Loin Sandwiches, Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, and/or Hot Dogs are all available with your choice of chips, dessert, and drink. This will be a "Free Will Offering" with the minimum suggested amount being $5 per meal.

The YPS Foundation will also be raffling off a $50 Wendy's gift card, $300 worth of Chamber Checks, and a $250 gas card donated by Central Valley Ag.

We appreciate the YPS Foundation and their continued dedication to the students of our school system. They continue to raise funds to help support technology integration across the curriculum, fine arts, robotics, and other specialized programming opportunities for our great students.

Lesson Learned from Country Music....

First off, I need to apologize to all English teachers and grammar police that might read this. The word "ain't" will be used in this blog but only because I'm quoting from a great song.

I've always enjoyed country music and Jake Owen has become one of my favorites over the past few years. He has a song that talks about, "we all want what we ain't got." His lyrics go on to say, "we ain't happy where we are, there's greener grass in the neighbor's yard; a bigger house and a faster car; we ain't happy where we are."

As I listened to this song over the weekend, it got me thinking. We really are hard to please. Many of us spend more time worrying about what we don't have instead of enjoying what we do have. I am extremely guilty of this. Sometimes, we need to sit back and be appreciative of what we are lucky enough to have. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't continue to strive for more; it just means we need to enjoy where we're at more often that we do.

"It" gets crazy "out there." The "real world" is a tough place. Jake Owen's song has made for stop, for at least a week, and be more appreciative of what we have. One thing I've learned over my career is that things are never as great as you think they are nor are they as awful as you think they are.

I'm going to work on enjoying the journey more instead of putting almost all of my focus on the destination.

Have an awesome week!

Property Taxes, School Revenue, and School Spending

This blog is intended to provide our patrons with some updated facts and figures pertaining to our budget and tax request and your hard earned tax dollars.


Spending YOUR Tax Dollars
• Five years ago, in 2008-09, YPS spent $13,813,663
o YPS spent $14,319,658 in 2013-14
 This is just a 3.6% ($505,995) increase in spending over five years
• Our average spending increased annually by just .72%

School District Revenue
• Five years ago, in 2008-09, YPS received a total of $13,759,522
o YPS received a total of $14,411,482 in 2013-14
 This is just a 4.7% ($651,960) increase in total revenue over five years
• Our average total revenue increased annually by just .94%

YOUR Property Taxes
• Our 2014-15 total tax levy is $1.24
o This is 4.2 pennies smaller than it was in 2013-14
o This is 5.1 pennies smaller than it was in 2012-13
• In 2014-15, we are asking for $10,049,494 of your property tax dollars
o This is an increase of $2,982,099; which comes to 42.2% over just five years ago!
o So even though our levy is lower, the amount of property tax you pay is higher
• The point we want to emphasize over and over again is that even though many of you are paying much higher property taxes, it is not leading to additional spending at YPS. It is simply helping to fill in for declining receipts from the state and federal level. For example, state aid to YPS has decreased from $3,700,000 in 2008-09 to just $1,447,000 in 2013-14 and now $2,214,000 in 2014-15.
o Even with over a 42% increase in property tax request in the past five years, our total receipts have increased just $651,960; which is just 4.7%, or .94% annually, as shown above. We haven’t been able to provide more property tax relief due to decreases in state and federal funding.
 We’ve had to skip curriculum adoptions, technology upgrades, and vehicle purchases to make sure our disbursements weren’t higher than our receipts.

We are working hard to try and maximize the use of your tax dollars. We’re working with various leaders across the state on potential ideas for property tax relief. We understand the concerns out there. They are not being ignored. If you’d like to visit in person, or have me come speak to a group, club, or coffee crew, please call or email; and we can set it up.

Go Dukes!

Mike Lucas
mike.lucas@yorkdukes.org
402-366-6491 (Cell)

Proud to be an American

September 11th will forever be a solemn day of remembrance after what happened in 2001. We live in the greatest country in the world and we need to be more respectful and appreciative of that every day, not just on Independence Day and September 11th. Every day.

I still get choked up thinking about 9-11-01. My stepmother was an active flight attendant for TWA at that time. I was an elementary principal in West Point, Nebraska with two daughters that were 8 and 6 and a 1-year old son. When I first heard of the planes crashing into the twin towers, I tried to call my step mom to see if she was home. About a half hour went by before I could verify that she was NOT flying that day and that she was safe.

I will never forget Charlene Recker, an awesome 2nd grade teacher, at WPES. Her son was in the Pentagon that day. She came into the office pretty shook up, obviously. I covered her class for a while as she tried to contact him to see if he was ok. As I remember it, an hour or so went by and Charlene had no verification if he was or wasn't ok. She came back to class. A little while later, I answered the phone in my office and it was her son calling to tell her that he was ok. I will never forget the pure relief and joy that Charlene had as I handed her the phone. It touched my heart.

The next day, we gathered all of our K-5th grade students into the gym and told them that they are "safe" and that we're going to be ok. This was the message First Lady Bush encouraged us to tell all children. It was an emotional time. I held it together during the "assembly" but balled like a baby in my office for about 30-minutes afterwards with the door shut.

We shall never forget the victims of 9-11-01. We continue to mourn the lives of so many that left us way too soon.

Every Day is a Great Day to be a York Duke

The 2014-15 school year is already in full swing. No matter how much preparation is done in June and July, nothing gets you ready for that August rush when school begins again. We're off to a fantastic start. Our enrollment is currently 1,268 K-12 students. In August of 2009, we had a K-12 enrollment of 1,186. It is great to have 82 more Dukes with us today than just a few years ago. This equates to a 6.9% enrollment increase.

Our new agronomy academy is going well. This is a joint venture with Centennial and Seward Public Schools with financial support from the four major seed corn companies along Highway 34. I believe we have seven students (juniors and seniors) learning about agronomy careers and concepts this semester in this new course.

Board members Dr. Pat Hotovy, Barb Skaden, Jean Vincent, and Matt Holthe were recognized at last night's NASB Region Meeting for earning various levels of award for being active board members attending workshops and conferences.

It's great to listen to the YHS Band each morning as they prepare for their upcoming parade season.

I've been able to get into classrooms at YES, YMS, and YHS within the past week and it is awesome to see such great students and staff working together.

All of our fall activities are in full swing. We hope to see you at a York Duke activity soon.

Life is good. It really is!

GO DUKES!

Contracted Food Service Management Company at YPS

This blog has copied/pasted info from the York News-Times article that Steve Moseley published on August 28, 2014. Pklease visit www.yorknewstimes.com for more info.

Lunch is going to have a different flavor this year for York students.

The school board has gotten out of the food service business and handed those duties in their entirety over to LunchTime Solutions, a private contractor. The first was chosen for its proposal about how and what to feed students at the elementary, middle school and high school buildings. “York Public Schools is very excited about our new partnership with LunchTime Solutions, who now handles all of our food service needs,” said Superintendent Dr. Mike Lucas this week. “This is something we’ve looked into for almost three years. We wanted to pursue contracted school meal service through a food service management company because it saves money, increases the quantity of food that students can eat, and can also help improve food quality in some instances.”

He said districts such as Hastings, Holdrege, McCook, Ralston and others have been very pleased with their partnerships with contracted food service companies. School district food service programs have undergone numerous changes and restrictions in the past few years and the York board felt that bringing in a professional organization like LunchTime Solutions was the best thing to do for York students.

“One of the biggest complaints we always received was that our students weren’t getting enough to eat,” Lucas said. “With LunchTime Solutions, our students can now get unlimited fruits and vegetables every day to help fill them up and/or they can also purchase another main course if they wish to.”

Students also receive up to five entrée choices a day at YMS/YHS while YES offers two to three choices. “Many of our students and staff have already been very excited about the wonderful salads available in all buildings.”

YPS always had dedicated food service staff that did a good job with the numerous restrictions they had to follow, he said. Now with a food service management company like LunchTime Solutions that staff can get the professional development, support and training they need.

“Most of our former food service staff continues to work in YPS kitchens but they now do so as an employee of LunchTime Solutions,” Lucas explained.
“We visited Hastings High in 2013 and really liked how LunchTime Solutions helped improve their school meal program. The “grab and go” lunch program at YHS, also known as “Cruising Café,” will start up in September and will feature bacon cheeseburgers, chicken strips and lots of other popular items for our high school students.”

York is an Amazing Community

Our first "Back to School Celebration" and "Community Pep Rally" was a success this past Tuesday night. We've already got some ideas on how to make the 2015 version even better. It was so awesome to see such a large crowd come out and support the awesome kids we have in our public and parochial schools. York is a special place and it will continue to get even better.

We appreciate the York News-Times for their wonderful coverage. Please read their article below.

http://www.yorknewstimes.com/news/community-pep-rally-brings-over-a-thousand-to-east-hill/article_a45cddfc-28d4-11e4-b4bb-0019bb2963f4.html

And We're Off and Running....

All is right in the world again. Our students are back in the buildings and we've begun the 2014-15 school year. Make no mistake, it is fully our intention to make 2014-15 the BEST school year in the distinguished history of York Public Schools. We have amazing students, supportive parents and patrons, a dedicated and talented staff, and a very proactive board of education.

We're excited about our new Agronomy Academy, our new school meal program through LunchTime Solutions, and our continued infusion of educational technology across the PreK-12th curriculum. We hope to see you at a concert, play, game, match, or in one of our buildings often this year.

GO DUKES!

Back-to-School Celebration and Community Pep Rally on August 19th at East Hill Park

We are excited about our upcoming Celebration and Community Pep Rally on Tuesday, August 19th at East Hill Park. Below is a rough draft idea of what this event is looking like as of now. We are hoping for a big crowd. Please spread the word.

Back-to-School Celebration & Community Pep Rally
Tuesday, August 19th at East Hill Park/Levitt Stadium

6:30-8:00 PM
• Ice Cream Social hosted by the York Public Schools Foundation (free-will donation)
• Inflatable bounce houses and games
• Music

The following booths and tables will also be set up around the park from 6:30-8:00:
• YHS Band Booster Club – stop by and join the Band Boosters
o YHS Flag Team will be selling items
• YHS Fine Arts Booster Club – stop by and join the Fine Arts Boosters
• YHS Athletic Booster Club – stop by and join the Athletic Boosters
• Let’s Move York – stop by and learn about this important initiative for wellness
• York Duke Apparel – stop by and purchase some new York Duke clothing
• Sam & Louie’s Pizza – $3 per slice (cheese, pepperoni, or beef)…10% of sales donated to YPS
• York Youth Soccer Association – stop by and drop off registration forms for this fall
• Renee Mattox – York Duke and Decorative Seasonal Door Signs
• York Promotional Products – stop by and purchase some York Duke and Husker attire
• Thirty-One Products – stop by to purchase purses, totes, and storage solutions (Kat at 363-1373)
• LunchTime Solutions – stop by and learn about the new food service provider for YPS
• Kirby's School of Dance and Kirtsey Dancewear and Gifts
• Junior Dukes Band – stop by and learn about instrumental music opportunities
• Scentsy – stop by and pick up great smelling wickless candles
• Lil’ Zyns Custom Hair Bows – stop by to purchase some custom hair bows and tutus
• YHS Activity Passes will be on sale
• Usborne Books - come check out the "food" to fuel the curious mind!
• York Chamber of Commerce – stop by and sign up for YorkFest 2014 activities!
• NPPD – stop by and learn about energy efficiency programming and ideas
• Country Styles Salon - stop by to get temporary and washable colored hair spray for kids as well as up-dos and braids for girls
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes – stop by and learn about this organization

8:00 PM
• Community Pep Rally begins inside Levitt Stadium with YHS Band and Cheerleaders
• Numerous Student Groups to be Recognized and Walk Across the Field
o St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Emmanuel Faith Lutheran School, YES, and YMS
o YHS Fall Teams
o Celebrity Joust Pit Challenges
 “Media Mayhem” - Mark Jensen vs. Greg Awtry
 Brent Enninga, Chris Payne, Matt Perry, and Ryan Lambert from YGH (7-30 email)
 Dr. Hotovy, Brian Tonniges, and Marty Winters
o Preview of Hub Foster Press Box Project
 Won’t quite be done yet so this will not be a formal dedication later this fall

Sub Teacher Meeting - August 11th at 6:00 PM

Substitute teachers/staff members are important people. In an average year, YPS will spend over $165,000 on substitute teachers and support staff. These folks are given the task of working with our students and it's important that we support them and provide them with the tools they need to be successful.

With that in mind, we are once again having a "Substitute Teacher Meeting" on Monday, August 11th at 6:00 PM at York MIDDLE School. We highly encourage anyone that wants to be a sub teacher in 2014-15 to attend this meeting. Our administration and payroll office will go over a multitude of topics to include effective classroom management ideas, lesson planning, school safety, discipline expectations, and more.

ALL sub teachers are encouraged to participate in this meeting that typically takes about 45-minutes. As a reminder, our sub teacher pay rate increases to $105 per day in 2014-15.

Go Dukes!

THANKFUL to be a DUKE

There is NO PLACE I'd rather be than York, Nebraska! As we prepare for the 2014-15 school year, I'm so excited about the tremendous staff, students, parents, community members, and school board that I get to interact with on a regular basis. York is a special place. It's just that plain and simple!

I'm thankful for our teachers and staff that work so hard to meet the needs of our students. I'm thankful for our students that represent themselves, their families, our school, and community in such a positive way. I'm thankful for all of the supportive parents we have. I'm thankful for the community members that attend our school events and show their Duke Pride on a daily basis. I'm thankful for our school board for their commitment to the young people of our community.

York Public Schools has a tremendous past full of rich traditions and worthy accomplishments. I'm thankful that we continue to build upon that as we move forward. Buckle up York Duke Nation because our best is yet to come!

We are....YORK DUKES!

York Youth Football

The York Duke Youth Football organization will once again make Pee Wee tackle football available to all boys in grades 4th-6th in the 2014-15 school year. The York Duke Pee Wee tackle football team will be a competitive youth football team that will compete in the Blue Valley Football League.

Registration forms are due by August 8th and can be found on the YPS website at www.yorkpublic.org.

Even though this is a competitive league, a strong emphasis will be placed on player safety, FUN, and character development. The main goal that our coaches have is to help each child develop a love of football and make them want to play again next year. This team will also be using the same schemes that the York high school and middle school teams run, so it will prepare them for the future.

Character development will be stressed on a daily basis and your sons will be taught themes such as loyalty, work ethic, integrity, and manners. These are themes that we take very seriously, and feel they are just as important as football lessons and techniques that they will acquire.

Your child will be taking part in a competitive environment, working hard, and learning valuable life lessons in a safe environment. This WILL BE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR SON! Every player will play in every game, but the playing time may not be equal.

In an effort to increase playing time on our 4th/5th grade team; it is our intent to split up into grade level teams if we have enough kids that sign up. A 5th grade only team would play our league schedule while our 4th grade only team would have 2-3 intra-squad scrimmages to ensure everyone is playing against other kids of similar age/size and skill set. Both squads would practice together each week.

Pad Check out will be Sunday, August 10th at 6:00 PM at the high school practice field by the track. The first practice will be Thursday, August 14th at the YMS practice field. Practice will always be from 6:00-7:30 or 8:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at YMS. Games are always on Sunday afternoons. We will have a parents meeting on Sunday, August 10th at the high school practice field after pad check out to discuss the season.

Go Dukes!

The IMPORTANCE of Birth-to-Five Programming

York Public Schools is proud to be a member of STANCE; which is a coalition of mid-sized school districts that work together on legislative and educational issues. We are in the midst of working on "white papers" and trying to help lead the visioning process of public education in our great state. We've identified several "pillars" to focus on. Early childhood education is definitely a priority!

If you have never done so, please take a minute and visit First Five Nebraska's website at www.firstfivenebraska.org. They are a tremendous resource!

The research regarding the value of quality early childhood services is undisputed. First Five Nebraska estimates that there are over 62,000 Nebraska children ages 0-5 who are at risk of failing in school because of lack of early childhood programming opportunities. STANCE members are unanimous in supporting public schools providing the opportunity for preschool services to all children.

As the State Legislature seeks public input towards a vision for the future education of young Nebraskans, let’s not forget our most vulnerable citizens. Achievement gaps don’t begin in kindergarten.

• The development of the brain in the first five years literally shapes the learning capacity for the rest of a child's life.
• The first five years of life are a time unlike any other in the development of the human mind. During this brief period, a child's brain creates and conditions synaptic connections at an astonishing rate as it prepares itself for a lifetime of learning and growth. The relationships and experiences a child shares with its parents and caregivers in the earliest years are crucial to the acquisition of communication and reasoning skills, the capacity to regulate emotions and behaviors, and the development of self-confidence and motivation for learning and achievement.
• As children grow older, their capacity to learn continues - but they will never have quite the same opportunity to lay such crucial neurological foundations again.
• Forty-one percent of our youngest children are subject to risk factors that threaten their ability to thrive in school and beyond. These children can be found in every county throughout the state, and although the greatest concentrations occur in metropolitan areas, Nebraska's rural counties are showing the greatest increase in their at-risk populations of children 0 to 5 years of age.

• On the whole, positive, supportive and stimulating early learning experiences and environments benefit not just the children themselves, but society in general.
o In fact, Nobel Prize-winning economist James J. Heckman calculates that high quality early childhood experiences can yield $7 for every $1 invested.
o Yet, Nebraska’s investment in early childhood continues to lag far behind what we spend each year on SPED, behavioral health, corrections and public assistance. Children who enter Kindergarten lacking the cognitive skills of their peers are likely to lag behind for the rest of their time in the K-12 system, despite the availability of costly special education programs.
• Children who are limited in their ability to regulate their emotions and make intelligent social decisions are more likely to require behavioral health services and enter the criminal justice system later in life.

The time is right for our great state to make a renewed commitment to quality early childhood programming for all Nebraska children. Partnerships with organizations like First Five Nebraska, UN-L and Dr. Sam Meisels, as well as numerous other public and private organizations can create a world class educational system in Nebraska.

We believe:
• Expanded early childhood programming will be an effective use of limited educational dollars resulting in improved academic performance, higher graduation and lower dropout rates and improved social behavior.
• Expanded early childhood programming will assist in stimulating the state's economy by attracting businesses to an area with skilled labor and a supportive family environment.
• Quality early childhood programs require quality teachers using researched based curriculum which must demonstrate positive results via accountability systems.

Independence Day -- 4th of July

We would like to wish everyone a wonderful and safe 4th of July. Independence Day is an awesome day to celebrate the outstanding country we live in. Enjoy some fireworks, spend some time with family and friends, and celebrate our awesome country! As a father of four and a school administrator, I am very thankful for the freedoms and opportunities we have in the USA! Happy birthday America!

STANCE

York Public Schools is extremely proud to be a part of a legislative advocacy group called STANCE. This group was formed in May 2013. STANCE stands for "Schools Taking Action for Nebraska Children's Education." STANCE is made up of 12 mid-sized districts that work together on trying to help ALL educators in our state to find more common ground and less battle ground.

Our mission statement is "STANCE supports equitable learning opportunities for all Nebraska children.”

STANCE Objectives include:

L Lead the discussion about equity and opportunity in an open and transparent environment, free of lobbying voices who are not superintendents

E Educate policy makers regarding the real effect of policy in clarifying the purpose of state aid formula components

A Advocate for policy that is understandable and predictable, which promotes cooperation and common ground needs of member schools

D Develop and maintain relationships with policy makers based on trust that results in policy supported by best practices of learning

We meet on the last Wednesday of each month at 10:00 AM at the NCSA Building in Lincoln. Our website, https://sites.google.com/site/stancene/, houses all of our meeting agendas, meeting minutes, and documents regarding proposed legislation.

STANCE is currently made up of the following districts:

Chadron Public Schools, Columbus Public Schools, Crete Public Schools, Fairbury Public Schools, Gothenburg Public Schools, Nebraska City Public Schools, Norris Public Schools, Seward Public Schools, South Sioux City Public Schools, Wahoo Public Schools, Waverly Public Schools, and York Public Schools.

Back to School Celebration ??

YPS is having a wonderful summer. We have lots of awesome academic programming offered through July 11th, a free lunch program offered through July 31st, professional development opportunities available for staff each Wednesday, etc. "Summer" is a very busy time and we're making the most of it to make our school district a better place.

We are kicking around the idea of collaborating with the YPS Foundation to put on a "Back to School Celebration and Community Pep Rally" on Tuesday, August 19th at East Hill Park. We're not sure if we're going to be able to pull this off but we're trying to make some tentative plans in the meantime. We're envisioning an ice cream social, inflatable fun for kids, music, stations to join the fine arts and athletic booster clubs, buy York Duke apparel, etc. We'd then move into the football stadium for a pep rally to recognize all of our fall activities, as well as students at YES, YMS, Emmanuel, and St. Joseph's.

If you have any thoughts one way or the other on this possibility, please let me know.

GO DUKES!

The FREE LUNCH Program

York Public Schools is once again providing free lunches for any 1-18 year old this summer. Our grant-funded FREE LUNCH Program takes place at our PLAY Building located at 225 West 5th Street here in beautiful York, Nebraska. Lunches are served from 11:30-12:30 Monday through Friday from June 9th - July 31st. No meals will be served on Friday, July 4th.

We've served an average of about 28 free lunches this first week of the program. Typically we will see that number increase as the summer goes on. Last year, we had multiple days where we served 65+ meals. Any 1-18 year old is welcome. This program is simply meant to help young people get a nutritious lunch. Meat, starch, fruits, vegetables, and milk are provided each day.

Help spread the word about this free lunch program that is intended to help many of our students over the summer.

GO DUKES!

1871 to 2014 and Beyond....

York Public Schools organized as a school district on June 14, 1871. Just think of the changes that have occurred in public education over the past 143 years! Heck, just think of the changes in public education over the past 14 years.

Change is the one constant that we all need to embrace. Whether we like it or not, change is always going to take place. I remember when I was teaching 3rd grade that this really "cool thing" called the Internet was starting up.

2014 is a wonderful time to be in education. Let's continue to plan for the future while embracing the effective strategies of the past. We have numerous tools at our fingertips today and we need to make sure we do all that we can to reach every student in every classroom.

I'm very excited and grateful to be a small part of YPS as we get set to begin our 144th year of educating children!

GO DUKES!

TeamMates Mentoring Program

I am very proud to be part of the York TeamMates Mentoring Program. I've been matched up with my mentee, Dalton, for four years now. He just finished his 9th grade year at YHS. While it is often very difficult to find 45 minutes a week to meet with him, it is always very rewarding. We play cards, board games, or go to the computer lab for most of our sessions. It is never anything too fancy, just some time to be together to help each other out.

I enjoy the conversations that Dalton and I have about school, family, and life. It's been great to get to know his friends. He provides me with great perspective and I hope I provide him with a little stability in return. Quite often, my days and weeks are full of tension-filled meetings, disgruntled adults, etc. It is VERY nice to have some regularly scheduled "normal time" with Dalton each week. He doesn't care about school budgets, tax requests, school improvement data, or the politics of school leadership. He just wants to beat me in cards....it is VERY refreshing!

The TeamMates Program now has over 110 mentor/mentee matches throughout York. It is truly a program where I feel the adults benefit as much or more than the kids. Our young people are so wonderful. Their energy, enthusiasm, and optimism is very contagious.

I'd encourage anyone and everyone to consider becoming a TeamMate in the near future. It is definitely a rewarding experience!

Celebrating the Class of 2014

I'm excited for graduation on May 25th. The Class of 2014 has done some amazing things over the past 13 years and that will definitely be celebrated! More importantly, however, is what they will accomplish over the next 80 years! My "speech" will be very short and will include the following.

* Recognition of the PARENTS of our graduates for sharing their children with us and supporting our school district
* Recognition of the GRANDPARENTS of our graduates for loving and helping to guide our students
* Recognition of our SCHOOL STAFF and BOARD OF EDUCATION for the dedication they have for the young people of our great community
* Recognition of our ALUMNI for making the YHS diploma special; for creating a proud tradition of being a Duke
* Recognition of current and former MILITARY PERSONNEL for defending our freedom so we can chase our dreams

It's a GREAT TIME to be a YORK DUKE and the Class of 2014 has certainly left their mark on our proud tradition!

GO DUKES!

Peter Pan is Coming to YHS

Peter Pan is coming to YHS.....The high school musical "Peter Pan and Wendy" will be May 16th and 17th, at 7:30 pm. Tickets will be sold at the door.

Peter Pan (Lauren Boyer) and Tinkerbell (Julianna Blackmon) have come to Wendy's (BreeAnna Gibbs) nursery to take her away on an adventure to Neverland. Hook (Brock Shoff) and Smee (Paul Lindsey) will cause trouble for them along the way. There are pirates, Indians, mermaids, and an unforgettable adventure that questions the need to grow up!

Please come out and support our Drama Department. They've put in an awful lot of time and preparation, including numerous 6:00 AM practices!

5th Grade Fitness Fun Day on May 15th

“Let’s Move York” is sponsoring a “5th Grade Fitness Fun Day” on Thursday, May 15th from 12:30-3:00 at East Hill Park in York, Nebraska. Fifth graders from Emmanuel Lutheran, St. Joseph’s Catholic, and York Elementary School will be in attendance with the objective being to expose them to the importance of staying active and making healthy snack and drink choices.

Students will participate in six different stations with three of them being informational and three being physically active. They will learn about the damaging contents of many popular drinks and snacks, where food comes from, and how much exercise it takes to burn off common snacks. All participants will be given a free water bottle and other goodies designed to encourage them to get and stay fit.

One of the highlights of the day will be a fruit and vegetable taste testing station that is being provided by LunchTime Solutions, which will begin to provide contracted food service for York Public Schools in August.

Special thanks go out to McCormick’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Eakes Office Plus, and Ameritas for helping to sponsor this important event.

“Let’s Move York” is made up of representatives from Four Corners Health Department, City of York, York General Hospital, York Public Schools, 4-H Extension Office, York County Head Start, and other organizations that are trying to provide support for children.

It's THAT Time of Year - Graduation is Coming!

I graduated from Ocala Forest High School in Florida on June 8, 1990. It seems like yesterday in many ways. I remember the full range of emotions from excitement to sadness to worry to disbelief that high school was over. It can be a confusing time for our soon-to-be graduates.

As York High School graduation creeps up on us, I want to thank the Class of 2014 for all they've done in their time as York Dukes. This class has been wonderful representatives of our school system, our community, their families, and our state in all they've done. In the classroom, on the stage, in labs and greenhouses, on the fields/courts/courses of competition, and in all they've done, they've been a great source of pride for us.

The challenge for the Class of 2014 is now to make sure that "high school" isn't the high point of their lives. Their best is yet to come. The same tenacity, poise, and strength that made them successful throughout their time at YPS will also serve them well in the "real world." Keep working Class of 2014. Keep reaching for the stars. Don't be satisfied yet. Go do amazing things and remember that you're forever a Duke! We are proud of you and wish you nothing but the best in your journeys. We are always here for you!

Extending the School Year

York Public Schools is proud to offer numerous ways to "extend the school year" for many of our students. We feel it is important for numerous children to stay academically engaged throughout June and July in an attempt to minimize the "loss" of academic knowledge/skills over the summer.

We are hosting six "Summer Learning Academies" the week of June 9th-13th. Please visit www.yorkpublic.org to see academy descriptions and to access a registration form. We have everything from a cooking class that focuses on fractions to an iMovie creation course to science-heavy courses dealing with plants and forensics! We're also offering two art courses for 6th-12th graders. Please check out our "Summer Learning Academy" offerings!

Our BOOST and ALL-STARS programs will run from 8:00 AM to Noon from June 2nd-July 11th. These summer offerings are an extension of our grant-funded after-school program that runs at YES/YMS throughout the school year.

We also have 10 students attending some "Bright Lights" courses in Lincoln the week of June 16-20. Add to this, our "Summer Reading Program" run by Title I staff on Tuesdays at YES, Credit Recovery Summer School at the Enrichment Center in June, and all of the SPED and Family Foundations offerings we provide all summer and you will see that YPS remains very busy in June and July.

Have an awesome week. GO DUKES!

What's on the INSIDE?

From an unknown author....

A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man so he took the bag out of the cave with him.

As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it until he dropped one of the balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone.

Excited the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure.

He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he just threw it away.

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling so we discount it. We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth. May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay.

York Dukes Recognized for State Fair Prowess

Four YHS and one YMS students were recognized at the State Capitol in Lincoln in March for earning first place awards in display competitions during the 2013 State Fair. During their day at the Capitol they attended a press conference with the Committee for the 150th Celebration for NE Statehood coming up in 2017. The students meet with the Speaker of the House, Greg Adams, and watched the legislature in session and were introduced to the legislature. They also took a specially guided tour of the Capital Building. Finally, they had a meeting with Governor Heineman.

Honorees were:

* Nicole Mittman, 8th grade, overall art award, Middle school sweepstakes winner
* Lauren Clark, 11th grade, overall essay award
* John Fletcher, 12th grade, 1st place Improv Team accepting award for YHS being a sweepstakes winner as a school
* Will Tietmeyer, 12th grade
* Kalon Beeson, 11th grade

YMS Excels at the Nebraska State Science Olympiad

The Nebraska State Science Olympiad was held on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at UNL’s East Campus. York Middle School competed in the B Division which is open to 6th, 7th and 8th graders across the state of Nebraska.

YMS entered into the following events:

CRIME BUSTERS - Erika Hinz & Kinsley Flynt participated in this category where they were given a scenario, a collection of evidence and possible suspects and students had to perform a series of tests to solve the crime.

HELICOPTERS: Luke Stuckey & Mason Linder had to design, construct and test free flight rubber-powered helicopters to achieve maximum time aloft.

ROAD SCHOLAR: Simon Otte & Nick Weskamp earned 5th place by answering interpretive questions that use one or more state highway maps, USGS topographic maps, a road atlas or satellite/ aerial images.

ROTOR EGG DROP: Lauren Riley & Nicole Mittman earned 3rd place as they constructed an unpowered, autorotation helicopter device, which uses one or more helicopter rotors to safely transport a raw chicken egg from a specified height to the floor.

SOUNDS OF MUSIC: Holly Rockenbach & Ann Magner won 1st place as they built two instruments based on a 12 tone tempered scale, prepare to describe principles behind their operation and be able to perform a major scale, required and chosen melody with each.

WRITE IT/DO IT: Ally Warneke & Nicole Mittman won 1st place as one student wrote a description of an object and how to build it and then the other student attempted to construct the object from this description.

QUIZ BOWL: Simon Otte earned 3rd place as each school could have one student to answer questions.

Sponsoring Organizations were University of Nebraska - Lincoln: College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Center for Science, Mathematics, and Computer Education, Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, ESU #10 & #16.

All in all, 26 different events were offered. York Middle School entered into 7 different events and brought home five medals with two 1st places, two 3rd places, and one 5th place.

YMS Science Olympiad Sponsor, Pam Petersen, had this to say about York Middle School’s team participating in this event for the first time, “I was amazed that we did so well. I told the kids that I would be ecstatic if we placed in one event! Holly & Ann's instruments were amazing and were a group effort with the help of our shop teacher Jason Hirschfeld and other experts in the musical field. There were over 700 students from across the state there to compete. Some schools have actual classes to prepare students for this competition. The top team overall gets to compete at Nationals - this year in Orlando Florida. Our students are very talented in many ways and are part of plays, sports, and weight lifting; which limits their time to spend on Science Olympiad.”

TeamMates Day at Runza on April 8th

"TeamMates Day" at both York Runza locations is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8th. They will generously donate 10% of all sales that will come back to our York TeamMates scholarship program.

Lorraine Grenfell is putting together a gift card order that she will process on April 8th so our TeamMates program can get 10% of the sales. She will take the information, collect the money in advance, purchase the gift cards on April 8th so the TeamMates program benefits from the sales, and then deliver them to those who buy them. If you think you’re going to use Runza gift cards for graduation gifts, birthday presents, anniversary dinners, etc. please consider contacting Lorraine Grenfell and ordering some that can be processed on April 8th.

Both York Runza sites will be open from 10:30 AM through 9:30 PM with extra staff on hand to get you in and out in a hurry.

Last year our check from Runza was $756.56 and we hope to exceed that figure this year.

Don't Be Too Quick to Judge Others....

In 2004, my maternal grandfather, Pappy, passed away in Wildwood, Florida. I flew down there for a week from my home in Franklin, Nebraska to help my family, and especially my grandmother, Mammy, with funeral preparations, grieving, etc. One of my duties that sad week included some yard work so it looked presentable for the numerous folks that would come visit us to pass along their condolences. I still remember vividly mowing, weed eating, edging, picking up limbs, etc. for multiple hours. It gave me time to reflect on Pappy and how he would be missed by so many.

Those hours spent doing yard work also allowed me to see what Mammy's neighbors were doing (and not doing) and I was enraged! For almost the entire time I spent working in Mammy's yard, her neighbors were doing the same; kind of. Actually, a woman in her 70's was mowing, weed eating, raking, etc. while her husband sat in a stinking lawn chair, drinking lemonade, and just watching her work her tail off. I couldn't believe my eyes. What kind of man would just sit there and watch his wife do all of this physical labor? I couldn't understand it.

I quickly finished up Mammy's yard and went inside real quick to get a drink so I could walk over to this lady that I felt sorry for and offer to finish up her yard work. Right before I went back outside to offer my assistance to this poor wife of a deadbeat, I told Mammy I couldn't believe what a lazy bum was living next door, that he just watched his wife work her tail off, etc.

Mammy very gracefully said, "Mike - don't be too quick to judge others. Mr. Sabol next door had heart surgery two weeks ago and is unable to do any physical labor for a while. He is the kindest and most giving man on the block. He treats his wife like a princess. Before his surgery, he helped Pappy and I with numerous projects around the house, mowed our yard, raked our leaves, etc. He is a true blessing. I hope you realize the damage in judging people too quickly."

Boy, was I embarrassed.

I think back to that story from time to time when I feel the urge to criticize someone. We never really know what others are going through and I hope we can all be a little more patient before casting stones at others.

Have a great week!

The Class of 2027 - WOW!!

I was lucky enough to take part in Kindergarten Round Up at YES on March 12th. What an awesome day! Many parents are preparing to send their first born child to school in the fall. Others are "old hat" at this but you can tell it is still a giant step. The soon-to-be kindergarten students we interacted with are the Class of 2027. Think about that for a minute. This Class of 2027 will begin to retire around 2070. How different will the world be then?

This really hits home to me as far as the impact that TODAY'S teachers have on TOMORROW'S leaders. No current YPS staff member will still be working for YPS in 2070 but the work they do with the Class of 2027, and all other classes, will be the legacy that lingers on. You think our jobs are important? You better believe it. Our passion, our strength, our tenacity get to help shape the future. Even those that will retire in 2070!

Wow! Pretty awesome!

YHS Speech Cruises to Conference Championship

Congratulations to the YHS Speech Team for the conference championship they earned on February 28th in Crete. Next up is the District Speech Meet in Central City on March 17th. In the meantime, please consider coming out to YHS on March 11th at 6:00 PM for the "Speech Share Night." This will be a great opportunity to see our many talented and dedicated speech team members in action.

Individuals placing at the Conference Meet include the following:

Humorous Prose--David Fillman 3rd; BreeAnna Gibbs 4th
Serious Prose--Julianna Blackmon 1st ; BreeAnna Gibbs 2nd
Persuasive Speaking--Sam Redfern 1st; Mary Heng 2nd
Duet Acting--Jonathan Postier/Julianna Blackmon 1st ; Paul Lindsey/Landon Norquest 2nd
Oral Interpretation of Drama--Landon Norquest, Paul Lindsey, Lauren Boyer, Jonathan Postier, David Fillman - 3rd
Oral Interpretations of Drama--Cori Bolte, Zach Kisby, Payton Demers-Sahling, Ashley Reynolds 4th
Entertainment Speaking--Sarah Bailey 6th
Extemporaneous Speaking--Rebekah Turnbull 5th

Importance of Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship: Safe, Responsible, and Respectful Use of Information Technology

We live in a digital world. Today’s digital life demands digital citizenship. Digital citizenship is the safe, responsible, and respectful use of information technology. It begins with your digital footprint, your public presence in cyberspace containing all information about you found online. Your footprint can help—or hurt—your image and future opportunities including your chances for college admission and employment.

York Community Education will be hosting an important presentation on Thursday, March 6th at 7:00 p.m. in the York High School Theater. It is FREE. The purpose of this presentation is to help individuals think critically about harnessing the positive potential of digital life and avoiding its perils. You are never truly anonymous. Your digital footprint persists and endures—often permanently—outside your control.

It will be presented by Ryan Sothan, Consumer Outreach Coordinator of the Nebraska’s Attorney General’s Office. It will be about an hour long presentation, but is absolutely loaded with information that will give parents, kids and community members a lot to think about on how to keep themselves and their kids safe in this digital world. It will be well worth your time! After talking with Ryan, this topic is a necessity for all to hear! There are so many things we need to become aware of as we go about living in this digital world.

For more information, you may contact York Community Education at 402-362-6700.

What do GREAT Teachers do?

Most of us have had the privilege of having a great teacher or two throughout our educational experiences. Great teachers go above and beyond to ensure that each child is successful. Many of us have had that one teacher/coach/mentor that inspired us more than any other. Great teachers are able to bring the best out of every student. They are often energetic, fun, and seemingly always at the top of their game. Their students look forward to coming to their class each day. When they are promoted to the next grade or course, they are sad that they are leaving, but armed with the skills necessary to be successful.

What are some traits of great teachers?

Many of the thoughts below are taken from research on effective schools and from the www.teaching.about.com website.

A great teacher is prepared. Preparation takes a lot of time. Great teachers spend a lot of time outside of the school day preparing for each day. This often includes weekends. They also spend countless hours during the summer working to improve their craft. They prepare detailed lessons, activities, and centers each designed to maximize student learning opportunities. They create detailed lesson plans and often plan for more in a day than they typically can complete.

A great teacher is organized. Being organized leads to efficiency. This allows great teachers minimal distractions and maximizes instructional time. Increasing instructional time will lead to an increase in academic success for students. Organization is about creating an efficient system to find resources and other materials quickly which a teacher needs. There are many different organizational styles. A great teacher finds the system that works for them and makes it better.

A great teacher is a continuous learner. They continuously read and apply the newest research in their classroom. They are never satisfied whether they have taught for one year or twenty. They seek out professional development opportunities, research ideas online and subscribe to multiple teaching related newsletters. Great teachers are not afraid to ask other teachers what they are doing in their classrooms. They often take these ideas and experiment with them in their classroom.

A great teacher adapts. They recognize that each school day and each school year is different. What works for one student or one class may not work for the next. They continuously change things up to take advantage of individual strengths and weaknesses within a classroom. Great teachers are not afraid to scrap entire lessons and start back over with a new approach. They recognize when something is working and stick to it. When an approach is ineffective, they make the necessary changes.

A great teacher evolves. They are constantly changing and never become stale. As trends change, they change with them. They grow each year they teach always improving across multiple areas. They are not the same teacher from year to year. Great teachers learn from their mistakes. They look to improve upon what has been successful and find something new to replace what has been not worked. They are not afraid to learn new strategies, technologies, or implement new curricula.

A great teacher is proactive. Being proactive can stave off a lot of potential problems including academic, discipline, or any other issue. It can prevent a small concern from turning into an enormous problem. Great teachers recognize potential problems immediately and work to fix them quickly. They understand that the time put into correcting a small problem is considerably less than it would be if it ballooned into something bigger. Once it becomes a large issue, it will almost always take away from valuable class time.

A great teacher communicates. Communication is a critical component of a successful teacher. They must be adept at communicating with several subgroups including students, parents, administrators, support personnel, and other teachers. Each of these subgroups must be communicated with differently and great teachers are terrific at communicating with everyone. They are able to communicate so that every person understands the message they are trying to convey. Great teachers keep people informed. They explain concepts well and make people feel comfortable around them.

A great teacher networks. Networking has become a critical component of being a great teacher. It has also become easier. Social networks such as Google+, Twitter, Facebook, etc. allow teachers from all over the world to share ideas and provide best practices quickly. They also allow teachers to seek input and advice from other teachers. Networking provides a natural support system with those who share a similar passion. It provides great teachers with another means of learning and honing their craft.

A great teacher inspires. They are able to pull the best out of every student they teach. They inspire them to become better students, to maximize their time in the classroom, and to look towards the future. A great teacher takes an interest a student has and helps turn it into a passion making educational connections that will potentially last a life time. They understand that each student is different, and they embrace those differences. They teach their students that it is those differences that often make them exceptional.

A great teacher is compassionate. They hurt when their students hurt and rejoice when their students rejoice. They understand that life happens and that the kids they teach do not control their home lives. Great teachers believe in second chances, but use mistakes to teach life lessons. They offer advice, counseling, and mentoring when necessary. Great teachers understand that school is sometimes the safest place a kid can be.

A great teacher earns respect. Respect is earned over time. It does not come easy. Respected teachers are able to maximize learning because they do not typically have classroom management issues. When they have an issue, they are dealt with quickly and in a respectable manner. They do not embarrass or berate the student. Great teachers understand you have to give respect before you earn respect. They are considerable and thoughtful to everyone, but understand that there are occasions where they must stand their ground.

A great teacher makes learning enjoyable. They are unpredictable. They jump into character when reading a story, teach lessons with enthusiasm, take advantage of teachable moments, and provide dynamic hands on activities that students will remember. They tell stories to make real life connections. Great teachers incorporate student interests into their lessons. They are not afraid to do crazy things that motivate their students to learn.

A great teacher consistently goes above and beyond. They volunteer their own time to tutor a struggling student after school or on weekends. They help out in other areas around school when they are needed. A great teacher is the first to help a family of a student in need in any way they can. They advocate for the students when necessary. They look out for each student’s best interest. They do what it takes to ensure that each student is safe, healthy, clothed, and fed.

A great teacher loves their job . They are passionate about their job. They enjoy getting up each morning and going to their classroom. They are excited about the opportunities they have. They like the challenges that each day presents. Great teachers always have a smile on their face. They rarely let their students know when something is bothering them because they worry it will affect them negatively. They are natural educators because they were born to be a teacher.